Daily Times

Cities are vital in combating poverty; accelerating economic growth and can play a pivotal role in the sustainable use of natural resources. There is a paramount relationship between nations’ per capita GDP and pace of urbanisation. Cities are magnets, which attract people from rural areas. They impart economic opportunities, higher education and professional development of masses. Asia alone shares 55 per cent of the global urban population and has a 1.5 per cent rate of urbanisation. Cities are economic engines and contribute 80 per cent GDP in most Asian countries. Meteoric urban development, rapid population growth, coupled with swelling industrialisation, and commercialisation stimulate ill-planned development on prime agricultural land and cause environmental degradation, traffic congestion, water shortage and poor urban municipal services. In light of these barricades, it is daunting to guarantee a conducive and livable environment to a diverse group.

According to UN-HABITAT, considerable gender gaps in property rights, personal safety, mobility, access to education, employment, participation in city planning processes and inadequate representation in democratic governance system highlight that women are still on the bottom mark of the parity scale. These are the main hindrances in the way of sustainable cities and communities.

The dilemma is that most of the principal policy decisions are usually formulated without the participation of major stakeholders. Sustainable Development Goal 11 demands “inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” cities. Its success principally depends on women participation in urban governance because women are the chief architects in designing inclusive and livable societies.

Women are 49.6 per cent of the global population. Unfortunately, their representation in urban governance is disproportionate and even imperceptible to their share in the world population. Participation of urban women in local urban governance, policy formulation, social infrastructure planning, inheritance rights, access to information and special provision for females at public places is pivotal for sustainable cities and communities.

The present epoch of urbanisation and modernisation has brought in its trail new roles and responsibilities for women. Urbanisation and sustainable development theme usually confederate with a participatory and inclusive developmental approach, where women have an egalitarian environment and opportunities to participate in all domains of life. Urban women have considerable opportunities in social and economic spheres but on the other hand, women are more vulnerable and exposed to harassment and ferocity at public transport terminals, public squares, urban streets, parks and offices.

Jane Jacob, a well-renowned American journalist and writer in urban studies, argued that cities and urban settlements had a potential to satisfy the needs of all segments of society, only when they are planned and designed by everybody. In Pakistan, women’s exigencies and concerns have never gained gravity in municipal services planning. Regrettably, directors of social infrastructure planning treat women-specific needs in a similar way like men.

Punjab’s Women Development Department and Aurat Foundation, in collaboration with UN Women and Punjab Commission on Status of Women, has launched “Women’s Safety Audit in Public Transport” to assess the women mobility issues, particularly safety and security concerns while using public transport. Findings of the Women Safety Audit Report revealed that 82 per cent of women bore pestering and harassment at public transport bus terminals. The females belonging to the 20-29 years age bracket were more vulnerable and exposed to harassment at public transport. The situation is more horrible and daunting in Lahore Transport Buses where 90 per cent of female commuters face sexual harassment.

The success of “inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” cities principally depends on women participation in urban governance

World Economic Forum report on Global Gender Gap released in 2017, ranked Pakistan 143rd out of 144 countries in Gender Inequality Index; leaving behind Bangladesh and India, ranked 72nd and 87th respectively in the compendium of countries. The Global Gender Gap report assessed the progress in gender parity by evaluating four thematic areas and ranked Pakistan 143rd in economic participation and opportunity, 136th in educational attainment, 140th in health facilities and survival rate and 95th in political empowerment of women. Pakistan’s scorecard in gender parity highlighted very alarming figures. The prevailing magnitude of gender disparities in the country necessitates champions of legislation benches to priorities women’s needs in socio-economic and political contexts.

Unprecedented urbanisation in the country demands an understanding of how the socio-economic fruits of the urbanised economies can be distributed more impartially and equitably between all sections of the population and an endorsement of the agenda of inclusive cities. Inclusive cities necessitate urban mangers and development specialists to engross a wide range of citizens in urban development processes, especially women and other marginalised groups. In inclusive cities, all inhabitants of the city have equal rights to the city, which means that citizens can participate in all segments of urban planning and development processes and enjoy amenities offered by a livable and responsive city.

Punjab Commission on the Status of Women was established in March 2014. The primary function of this commission is to empower women socially and economically by combating women harassment, gender discrimination and individual grievances. Further, the commission has to ensure women development by enforcing and implementing women’s rights laws, policies and plans. The women commission should commence research on women roles in urban planning and governance and highlight this issue at legislation benches. Likewise, the women commission should collaborate with local planning and development authorities to pinpoint women special needs in city life.

Women’s safety, access to public places and adequate dedicated spaces at bus terminals and within the buses are key areas for action. Urban planners, policymakers and development specialist can combat these issues in collaboration with women development department by ensuring safe, responsive, inclusive and gender-sensitive urban public transport. There is an immediate need to priorities women concerns in urban policies. Incorporation of women perspectives in planning and designing of inclusive public transport, new housing policy, in the planning of public places, public parks and public squares is a fundamental concern for the development of sustainable cities and communities.

The writer is an Msc scholar in Public Policy and Management at the Corvinus University of Budapest